Humboldt Supervisors ask for insurance quote

DAKOTA CITY – The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors considered joining the Iowa Communities Assurance Pool Monday.

Clarence Hoffman, a marketing representative for County Risk Management Services Inc. of Johnston, said CRMS represents ICAP, an insurance program endorsed by the Iowa State Association of Counties and Iowa League of Cities.

According to the website, the CRMS provides marketing services to Iowa counties for ICAP and the Iowa Municipalities Workers Compensation Association. CRMS works through local insurance agents to provide property, casualty and workers compensation packages to meet each county’s exclusive needs. Health insurance is not part of the package.

According the information from ICAP, pooling offers no state premium tax, no federal income tax, no contributions to state insolvency funds and investment income stays with the pool. ICAP is member-owned and provides coverage to more than 660 Iowa public entities – including 68 counties.

“You are a county that would be eligible for our program,” Hoffman said. “I think you are doing the best thing for the taxpayers,” by giving them the best buy, he said.

A county does have the option to drop out after giving a 60-day notice, Hoffman said, but since 1976 only one county has dropped out. The county could still keep its insurance agent: Abens, Marty, Curran Agency.

“I think we should get a quote,” said Supervisor Harlan Hansen.

Hoffman will bring a quote to the board.

In other business:

The board approved removing railroad insurance provisions from a resurfacing project on Humboldt County Road C30. The Iowa Department of Transportation added the provision to the contract without the county’s knowledge, County Engineer Paul Jacobson said.

“I called the DOT and had a discussion with them about adding things to our plans. We didn’t know about it,” he said. Assistant County Engineer Ben Loots caught the $3,250 change.

The provision was not necessary, Jacobson said.

Jacobson said people have been picking items up at curbside during the annual cleanup days and dumping them in county ditches.

“If you don’t like what you pick up in town, don’t throw it in the county ditch,” he said. “I’d prefer you throw it somewhere else like a Dumpster.”

Jacobson said several loads have been cleaned up already at taxpayers’ expense.

The supervisors approved a $213,800 payment to the Wetland Mitigation Bank to cover about 21 acres of wetland that will be drained as a result of a drainage project in Drainage District 2 east of Gilmore City.

A state grant will cover 75 percent of the cost. The remaining cost will probably be covered by the district and landowners, said Drainage Engineer Rick Hopper with Jacobson-Westergard & Associates, Estherville.

The state is still investigating 18 more acres in the district and some of those acres may be exempt, he said.